Brownsburg picked as pilot school for program empowering girls athletes
BROWNSBURG — A CDC study conducted last February indicated more than 50% of teen girls felt "persistently sad or hopeless," the highest rate in over a decade. While participation in sports is known to boost confidence and selfesteem, 70% of children are quitting by age 13, with girls quitting at twice the rate of boys by age 14.
Those concerning trends were the purpose behind a special assembly held Wednesday morning at Brownsburg High School where over 75 female student-athletes and a number of Bulldog coaches were on-hand for the launch of SURGE, a program initiative by BSN SPORTS designed to help keep girls in sports and prioritize their mental health.
Brownsburg, which partners with the sports apparel company, was selected as a pilot school for the program.
"It's a phenomenal opportunity and we're excited about leading the charge moving forward," Brownsburg assistant athletic director Kyle Duncan said.
"When you play a sport, you're naturally going to be a leader and being able to empower the next generation of female leaders is something that's awesome to be a part of," he continued. "I think our female athletes are doing a lot of good things that kind of get overshadowed by the male sports and being able to highlight those things is very important for us and for the confidence of our student-athletes."
SURGE — an acronym for "strength, unity, resilience, growth, equity" — provides coaches with a number of free online tools and resources, including webinars, specialized monthly curriculum and keynote speakers. Those resources are geared toward specific sports and will touch on topics such as confidence, leadership and body image.
Graduation rates are 8% higher in female athletes, who are 24 times less likely to drop out of school than nonathletes and 14% more likely to believe they are smart enough for their dream, according to a press release from BSN SPORTS.
Plans are already underway to expand SURGE across Indiana and the country, according to SURGE national account representative Tisha Hill, who highlighted the variety of sports represented at Wednesday's launch and reemphasized the importance of youth sports participation.
Hill coaches eighth-grade girls basketball in Brownsburg, where her participation numbers are "usually on a rollercoaster."
"I know what these girls go through," the former IU basketball player and longtime college coach said. "I want to make sure girls know it is going to be a great adventure when you join a team and teach them the skills to grow at the next level, whether it’s going onto college or onto the trade. Whatever they choose to do, SURGE is a program that’s going to help them enjoy their time as a student athlete.”
To learn more about BSN SPORTS and the new SURGE program, visit www.BSNSPORTS.com/SURGE.
Follow Brian Haenchen on Twitter at @Brian_Haenchen.